Musasa – Kinama : refugees elect their representatives in a context of crisis

In the Musasa and Kinama refugee camps, respectively in the Ngozi and Muyinga provinces (north and northeast Burundi), refugees, mostly Congolese, elected their representatives on September 26, 2024.

These elections went well, despite a context of crisis. Some refugees deplore that the quantity of food has been revised downwards by the UNHCR. They hope that the newly elected representatives will advocate for an increase in the quantity of food.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Irakiza Kabunda Olivier was elected head of the Musasa camp. Gabriel Ngisi was chosen as the new president of the Kinama camp. The two men are surrounded by a committee of six people, each.

These elections were held in a context where refugees face many challenges.

This is the case of this man from the Kinama camp.

“I fled my country almost 18 years ago. I have been married to a Burundian woman for four years, but this choice has complicated our situation. As a refugee married to a Burundian woman, I do not have access to the same benefits as those who are simply refugees. Resettlement is almost impossible for us. We are stuck in this hopeless situation. My family lives in constant despair!”, he said while hoping that those who were elected will advocate for him and his peers with the relevant authorities.

In the Kinama refugee camp, a refugee woman laments an insufficient amount of food.

“Before, we received at least ten kgs of rice with a sum of money per person per month. It was far more than what we receive today. We eat once a day to try to make ends meet,” she explained.

Lack of drinking water in the camps

In Musasa camp as in Kinama, clean water is in dire need.

“We have just spent three days without a drop of water. The little money we receive as food assistance has to be divided between buying water and food. A 20-liter jerry can costs 1,000 Burundi francs. Imagine the amount I use per day for a family of eight,” laments a mother of six children from Musasa camp.

These elections, organized in the presence of the local administration, the UNHCR and its partners, took place in a climate of peace and transparency.

The newly elected officials have a two-year term, from 2024 to 2026.

The Musasa and Kinama refugee camps are home to 16,000 refugees.

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Refugees await the result of the vote in the Kinama camp in northeastern Burundi, September 26, 2024, DR